Mail-tag holder



(N0 MbdelJ' LEROY S. SANBORNQ MAIL TAG HOLDER. Patented Oct. 10, 1882.,-

' mwmmq h UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEROY S. SANBORN, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

MAIL-TAG HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 265,638, dated October 10, 1882,

Application filed January 21, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEROY S. SANBORN, of Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Tag Holders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,whieh willenahleothers skillediu the artto which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawin gs, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig.2 is an end view of the end designed to receive the tag. Fig. 3 is a top plan. Fig. 4 is a side sectional elevation.

Same letters show like parts.

My invention is for a tag-holder to be used on bags or packages of mail-matter, principally newspapers. To show its application and use it should be stated that pieces of wood called return-tags are, for convenience, attached to bags or parcels of newspapers tiestined for some one place. These are sent to agents at such places, and are marked in various ways to answer the purpose. For instance, suppose a number of papers are taken by citizens at Fryeburg, Maine. Then from the distributing-office at Portland a bag or bundle of these papers is sent marked Portland and Fryeburg, Agent No. 2. Return tag to Portland,Maine. Thetagisgenerallyofwood,

so as to be a lasting one. It has a hole in one end, through which twine is passed to secure it to the bag or bundle. The amount of twine that is consumed in a year is very large, and the cost to the Government very great. Time is consumed in the attaching to and removing of the tags from the bags, &c. My invention is to be used instead of the twine to hold the tag to the bags or parcels.

My invention consists in a metal holder havin g a hole through it to receive the tag, a spring-tongue to hold the tag in the holder, and a perforated lip or equivalent device with which to secure the holder to the bag.

at is the piece of metal or other proper material forming the top and sides of the holder.

1) is the bottom piece. The bottom is thick, so as to receive a fiat spring, 0, on which is placed the upright spring-tongue d.

0 illustrates the tag.

The holef, where the twine was formerly put in, now receives the tongue. It has an inclined top end at g. This is provided so that, the tag being pushed in at the end seen in Fig. 2, the tongue will be pusheddowu into the recess in the bot tom piece, d, until it is allowed to spring up into the hole f. When this is in the position illustrated in Fig. 4 the tag cannot be drawn back without breaking either the tag or the holding device. 11; cannot easily be pushed through the device in the other direction on account of the resistance of the tongue d, which will be sufficient to preventits workingthrough in that direction.

The ta g-holder is to be permanentlyattached to a mail bag or parcel by means of the lip j and its perforation 7c. When a bag is tilled with mail-matter destined to a place the tag stamped with its direction is thrust into the outerend of the holder until the tongue springs up into the hole in tag. It is then ready to be dispatched. The agent or receiver pushes the return-tag through the holder in the same direction in which it was entered therein, and returns the tag to the distributing-office for use again. Large saving in twine and time is effected by the use of my tag-holder. The top part, a, is united to the bottom by screws or any convenient and known way.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The mail-tag herein described, consisting of the part a, bottom piece, 1), spring 0, carrying the tongue at, having the inclined top end, g, the lip j, and perforation 7c,iu combination with the tag having the hole f, the same adapted to be attached to a mailbag, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- LEROY S. SANBORN.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM HENRY CLIFFORD, JOHN P. KERRIGAN. 

